Mountain Rose Herbs Blog

Waning Quarter Moon Incense Blend

Written by Jessicka | July 17, 2025

The Waning Moon is a time for decluttering and making space for the potential that the New Moon will soon bring. Tidying up, going through paperwork, and clearing out our inboxes—these are all gentle activities that I have found incredibly helpful to move (or remove) the sometimes unseen burden of accumulated to-dos. 

In addition to cleaning our physical space, this is a time for internal decluttering. Engaging in restorative activities such as meditation, journaling, and artistic expression provides an opportunity to observe, process, and gently release unresolved thoughts or emotions that may be impeding our ability to move forward. These practices help us shed layers we don’t need and make space for creativity to flow through. 

One tool that I find deeply supportive for this time of cleansing is aromatherapy, and in this case, smoke cleansing. I crafted this incense powder blend to burn while I am doing my Waning Moon decluttering, which also felt like the perfect place to conclude this moon phase aromatherapy series.

In this blend, I started with a resin base, as many resins have powerful energetic properties. Practically, they also help the blend stay lit longer than herbal powders alone. Copal (Shorea javanica) is one of my favorite sacred resins and is the one that immediately came to mind when crafting this recipe. It has long been used in ancient Maya and Aztec ceremonies and is still used by a number of indigenous communities in southern Mexico, Central America, East Africa, and Indonesia. Across the globe, it is used largely for the same purpose—to cleanse and move energy. It can also be very calming to the nervous system. 

With a solid base, I next added rosemary powder for its fresh, cleansing, and mind-stimulating qualities. It can help with brain fog and feelings of heaviness that may be holding you back from getting things done. Next, I added rose powder as a reminder to be gentle during this process. Rose is an herb for self-love, and when doing this kind of internal and external cleansing, it’s important that we do it from a place of kindness and care.

I hope you enjoy crafting this beginner-friendly incense recipe as much as I did, and find it helpful in preparing for the New Moon to come.

Waning Moon Incense Blend

Makes 2 ounces of incense powder.
Measurements are in weight. 

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Grind copal resin in a mortar and pestle.
  2. Weigh out ingredients and add to a small glass container with lid.
  3. Stir well until completely combined.
  4. Label with ingredients and date made.

To Use

  1. In a separate jar or bowl, add sand and tamp down well.
  2. Place in a safe area out of the reach of children and pets.
  3. Add as much powder as you would like to burn in a gentle heap on top of the sand.
  4. Tamp down gently.
  5. Hold flame to powdered incense for several seconds, or until it begins to turn red.
  6. Turn off flame and gently blow to help it get going.

Pro Tips

  • Freezing copal will make the powdering process in a mortar and pestle easier. This is true of all resins. I don't recommend powdering resins in a blender. It's much harder to clean. 
  • You can use a standard blender to powder any other ingredients.
  • When preparing your incense powder to burn, don’t tamp down too much. Having a little space helps it burn better.
  • Always stay within eyesight of burning incense for safety.
  • Crafting incense was intimidating to me for a long time, but I learned that it can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. This recipe is a simple one to help get you started.


Looking for the rest of the moon phase aromatherapy series?

Start at the Beginning With the New Moon Roll-On Perfume



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